Christmas Lights

The group found a place in Paso Robles for some appetizers (including turkey nuts) after leaving the wineries. From there we wandered over to a small park in Paso Robles where hundreds of people were gathered to light the trees with Christmas lights. All of a sudden a couple things hit me. 1) Wow! It’s Christmas time already? And 2) Awww there’s no snow. I realized that I might not get much of that Christmas spirit when I’m traveling every few days this year. It’s going to come up pretty fast! And I’m a little worried because I’m still not exactly sure where I’m going to be or who I’m going to be spending Christmas with. But it’ll come together. It’s definitely going to be a different experience for Christmas on this trip. My next thought was a bit of a struggle. How do these people celebrate Christmas without snow?!?! Being in Michigan I’m spoiled with snow. And Christmas is this holiday that celebrates with snowmen, snowflakes, hot chocolate, and everything else, when only ¼ of the country has snow on Christmas day. Growing up with snow it’s very hard to imagine Christmas without it.

I learned something though. Throw in some Christmas music, some happy children, a happy family, a few candles, and everyone gets into the spirit. We drove down Vine Street, which is known for extensive lights and decorations. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a community even like this, where everyone comes out, sings together, brings the kids, and celebrates the beginning of the holidays. It’s a real treat to see the kids. Elise, Blair, and Margo were having a blast. It was great to see their father Greg dancing with them and listening to everyone sing. So the verdict is… who needs snow?